Committees

Committee on the Environment

The AIA NY Committee on the Environment (COTE) aims to lead, inspire and educate our members towards the dual objectives of Design + Sustainability. COTE organizes many engaging activities and events which focus on leading architects, outstanding 'green' buildings, current technologies and product research, and sustainable design practices.

Our efforts are based on the belief that sustainability should be an essential part of the design process and fully integrated with all aspects of a building, including form, function, site, structure, systems and construction. We work in partnership with the National AIA COTE and are supporting the AIA 2030 Commitment by providing educational opportunities to further understand our role in a sustainable future.

Leadership

Under its previous leadership, Pat Sapinsley and Ilana Judah, COTE developed into one of the New York Chapter's most active committees. The current co-chairs seek to continue COTE's mission to provide our members with the knowledge and tools necessary to integrate sustainability into their design practices. In the process, we also hope to encourage those outside the design community to embrace sustainability and appreciate the value of good design.

We continue to build upon three goals for the COTE committee: to offer educational opportunities, foster connections and build networks, and promote our message beyond the design community to champion sustainability and good design.

AIANY 2017 COTE Awards

This first annual AIANY COTE Awards, held in December 2014, was initiated in order to promote greater understanding of regionally specific sustainable design strategies through transparency, comparative operational data, and compelling lessons learned that reveal and inspire new materials, technologies, and design solutions. In order to nourish the design community, entries reveal the direct impacts of their projects, share the tools developed along the way, engage in the redefinition of value, and illustrate challenges overcome during the process of design and construction.

The 2017 COTE Awards will be launching on June 3, 2017. For more information, please visit the Awards Website.